The Crown of August II of Saxony

In 1697 Frederick August, known as August the Strong, Elector of Saxony, became King of Poland. His opponent to his claim to the Polish throne was Louis, Prince of Conti, who lost the vote of the Polish nobles and stole the Crown Jewels hiding them, out of spite, in Lubwola. As a result a new set had to be made for the coronation of August II in Cracow.

August was the son of Frederick William I of Prussia who gave him a strict militaristic upbringing. August inherited a small northern German kingdom which, through his incredible military achievements, he turned into a first rate European power.

On his accession he attacked Austria, intending to gain control of Silesia. This he secured by the Treaty of Dresden in 1745. Thus began the War of the Austrian Succession. During that war Frederick and Prussia had been allied with France. In the Seven Years War he was instead allied with Britain against Russia, France and Austria, an apparently overwhelming alliance. British aid consisted of money rather than troops and ended abruptly with the death of George II in 1760.

Frederick's successes show him to have been one of the greatest generals in history, although it must be said that the leadership of many of the armies he faced was particularly poor.

Frederick continued to expand Prussian power during the rest of his reign, gaining one third of Poland as a result of the First Partition of Poland in 1772 and preventing Austria from gaining power in Germany in the War of the Bavarian Succession (1778-90). By the time he died Prussia was both the dominant power in Germany and also an important international power.

Following August II's coronation in 1697 the regalia was put on display in Dresden. It then disappeared and was not found again until 1929 ... in the Theatrical Property Room ofthe Dresden Museum! The crown is now on display in the Royal Castle of Dresden.